24 August 2014: Potentially Entertaining Game Scores

The contest between the Mariners and the Red Sox finishes the weekend as the potentially most entertaining game. The series has been first or second each day, swapping with the Giants and Nationals yesterday. Both the Mariners and the Giants have been amongst the most potentially entertaining teams since I started doing this in the spring. The best pitching match-up is at Yankee Stadium, where Chris Sale goes against Chris Capuano, which just edges out Max Scherzer versus Kyle Gibson in Target Field, a ball park I have decided is not aesthetically appealing on the television. What's all that brown about? Aficionados of BETA development processes will be eager to learn that I have tweaked the formula quite significantly in that I have reduced the impact of the playoff value. Otherwise, by the end of the season it would have accounted for 100 per cent of the PEGS. As it stands, by the end of the season it will now only account for 70 per cent of the PEGS, and I may yet reduce that further. Tweet me (@frapaolotweets) if you have strong opinions about what value it should possess.

Seattle vs Boston           61
San Francisco vs Washington 60
Detroit vs Minnesota        58
Pittsburgh vs Milwaukee     57
Atlanta vs Cincinnati       56
Kansas City vs Texas        52
Tampa Bay vs Toronto        48
White Sox vs Yankees        48
St Louis vs Philadelphia    47
Angels vs Oakland           46
Houston vs Cleveland        45
Baltimore vs Cubs           45
San Diego vs Arizona        43
Miami vs Colorado           42
Mets vs Dodgers             42

This is the BETA version of a method of rating games for their potential to provide entertaining baseball. The formula is still in development, but is refined enough at the moment that it can guide you towards games where the batters will get on base and hit for power, the fielders cover ground and throw well and the pitchers induce the batter to swing. Games are rated on the 20-80 scale, with 50 being an average score.